Tasting - Montebuena Rioja Cuvee KPF, 2012

Name: Montebuena Rioja Cuvee KPF
Variety: Tempranillo
Region: Rioja
Country: Spain
Year: 2012
Price: $8.95

Winery Review: "Ripe cherry, red berries and smoky minerals on the nose. Spicy, firm and tightly wound, with very good lift to the flavors of redcurrant, bitter cherry and licorice. A gripping, lithe midweight with appealing sweetness and bracing minerality on the long, incisive finish." -International Wine Cellar - 90 Points

My Review: Wow, this wine was a complete steal for the price. A true diamond in the rough, The color was a dark red, and I was pleased with the aroma. I smelled hints of wood shaving, and coconut husk. A cherry and plum aroma was most prevalent. Once the liquid hit the mouth I was impressed, a very smooth cherry and raspberry mix, although there was a little too much acidity for me. I couldn't get enough of this stuff! This wine is definitely a buy.

The wine was tasted on it's own with no food.

Tasting - Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Horse Heaven Hills, 2012, Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Crest
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: 
Country: USA
Year: 2012
Price: $14.95

Winery Review: "Dark and spicy, billowing with plum, currant and white chocolate flavors, picking up pear and white tea notes as the finish lingers with refinement. The tannins are submerged." - Wine Spectator-92 points.

My Review: The color is very exciting with a deep, dark purple. The aromas were comforting consisting of cherries, a black/brown spice, earthy tones like oak, and campfire smoke. The taste began with a smooth cherry, and blueberry opening to a complex variety of earthy flavors. The finish was fantastic, smooth with almost no burn. There was so much to this wine with complexity in the aromas and tastes which both blended superbly. An exceptional wine!

The wine was tasted on it's own with no food.

Personal Experience with Wine

There are two conditions of wine I know to be true through anecdotal experience. The first condition, wine is an alcoholic beverage. The second, too much wine will get me drunk. My usual experience with wine involves sharing a cheap bottle with friends picked upon the criteria of how exciting or suave the name sounds. On more rare occasions I will have a glass in the company of relatives at family gatherings, where an Uncle of mine happens to know a great deal about wine. I remember on one occasion he picked a bottle of wine for the family dinner that paired with the food we were having that evening outside on the deck. The manner in which my Uncle explained the characteristics of the wine made the dinner more intimate because my family was sharing an experience. Now, my knowledge does happen to extend upon the introduction of this post, not by much albeit. I know there's white and red wine, some wine is smooth and earthy, while others wines are dry and fruity. While my palate is rather limited, I prefer smooth wine over dry most times.

There is a great deal I hope to learn from my geography of wine class that I am taking this semester. I want to experience my first wine tasting of course. More specifically I want to know how to taste wine, how to identify different types through smell and taste. If I happen to be at dinner I want to know what wine pairs best with certain foods to make the night more enjoyable with a date, friends or future clients. I would like to get a job in sales, I study marketing, I see this course opening a window to create good relationships with clients.